


The Test of Honor

by minkhollow



Category: Villains By Necessity
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-29
Updated: 2008-12-29
Packaged: 2017-10-02 03:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minkhollow/pseuds/minkhollow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blackmail takes on his Segment Test. (NB: Chock full of SPOILERS.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Test of Honor

**Author's Note:**

> Blackmail belongs to Eve Forward, not me; this is just my humble attempt to fill in something I'd have loved to see in the book.

After matters surrounding the centaur's ignorance about the nature of their quest were squared away, Blackmail wasted little time in entering the Test. He knew what awaited better than any of the other villains would know their own Tests, but that did little to settle his mind; after all, knowing exactly what awaited him meant he knew precisely how hard the Test could be.

Upon entering the Test, he found himself in a small chamber, the figure of Sir Pryse from the mural before him, more solid (and therefore a bit more disconcerting). The two regarded each other for a few moments, and then Sir Pryse smiled.

"Well. This is a bit unexpected."

Blackmail bowed, keeping things simple for the moment, and Sir Pryse laughed.

"Oh, come now. If you can't talk to yourself, who _can_ you talk to?"

"Perhaps," Blackmail said, and winced at how disused his own voice sounded in comparison (if with good reason). "What gave it away?"

"The armor, of course. Few people would hold to it in such peaceful times, never mind the similarity of style under that paint. But to business - why are you the one here seeking the Segment?"

"In some measure... because my brother cannot. Even if he were not dead now," and there Blackmail had to pause for a moment because the grief was still fresh, "very few people would be inclined to listen to a horse."

"...A horse."

"Thank Mizzamir for that one. Before he perfected less obvious means of depriving one's freedom of choice, he had to settle for rendering them otherwise harmless."

"I see." Sir Pryse studied him for a few moments (easily the most disconcerting experience of the Test so far), then added, "And the remainder of your motive?"

"The majority, actually. I still fight for freedom to choose one's own greatest good, whether it is truly of the Light or not. Mizzamir... lost sight of that some time ago, and someone needs to point out the obvious before all is lost."

"Indeed they do. And in that, you have found the greatest good of all."

A small pillar rose in the center of the chamber, bearing a chunk of purple crystal. Blackmail took it without another word, and bowed.

"You'd do well to hurry your companions out," Sir Pryse added. "With the stone's tip gone, the integrity of the rocks won't hold for long after you leave the Test."

Blackmail nodded, and turned to leave. That had gone far better than he'd expected - but then, it _would_ be easier to reason with oneself than with anyone else.


End file.
